17 of The Best Cable Alternatives for 2020 (Some are free!)

Scared to cut the cord and ditch cable because you’re worried about being able to watch your favorite shows, sports, and movies? I have 17 of the best cable alternatives that will make it easy to finally take the leap.

Whenever I talk to people who are trying to pay off debt, save for retirement, or just want to reduce their monthly spending, I typically ask if they’re still paying for cable.

I’m always shocked when someone says they are because finding a cheap cable alternative can save you anywhere from $50-$150/month. That’s an easy $600-$1,800 back in your pocket every year.

Start saving money with 17 of the best cable alternatives for 2020

1. Netflix

$8.99-$15.99/month with a 30-day free trial

With over 167 million worldwide subscribers, it’s safe to say that Netflix is one of the most popular and best cable alternatives on the market in 2020. In addition to network favorites, Netflix consistently churns out quality programming, including several award-nominated original TV shows and movies, like The Irishman, Marriage Story, Making a Murderer, and Orange Is the New Black.

Netflix’s lineup changes regularly, so the content continues to feel fresh, and there really is something for the whole family.

2. Sling TV

Sling is one of the best cable alternatives because it offers many of your favorite cable networks at a much more affordable price, including A&E, AMC, CNN, Comedy Central, ESPN, and Food Network.

Sling TV has three levels: Sling Orange, Sling Blue, and Orange + Blue. The plans vary by which channels you want access to and how many devices you want to stream on.

There are also a bunch of customizable add-ons starting at $5 per month, giving you things like more sports, comedy, or premium channels. Sling also runs offers for things like a free Roku if you pay for a couple of months of service upfront.

3. Hulu

$5.99/month or Hulu (No Ads) $11.99/month, new members receive their first month for free

Hulu is one of the best cable alternatives because, at the base level, it’s one of the most affordable options, and you have access to the current season of many of your favorite network shows. There are also a ton of original series, movies, and add-on channels, like Showtime, HBO, Cinemax, and Starz.

The least expensive level of Hulu is now only $5.99 per month (it was lowered in 2018) and comes with a 30-day free trial. With this option, you’re going to get some commercials, but you can go ad-free for $11.99 per month.

Hulu recently started offering a bundle option that gives you access to Hulu (with ads), Disney+, and ESPN+ for $12.99/month.

4. ESPN+

$4.99/month

For sports fans who are concerned about cutting the cord, ESPN+ is an affordable alternative to cable. There are live sports, exclusive ESPN+ originals, the 30 for 30 library, plenty of shows to help you build your Fantasy League lineup, and access to premium articles.

You can stream ESPN+, rewind and replay, or download your shows for later. ESPN+ is available on up to three devices at once.

8. Amazon Prime Video

$119/year, student membership $59/year, 30-day free trial

If you’re already paying for Amazon Prime for free one-day or two-day shipping, then you should also be taking advantage of their Prime Video library. Amazon Prime has award-winning shows like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Fleabag, but you can also get add-ons for HBO, Showtime, Starz, and even PBS.

9. YouTube

Free!

YouTube has come a long way from videos about slime to offering a ton of educational and entertaining content. You can catch clips from your favorite late-night shows, watch travel videos, and even find amazing home decorating tips.

Okay, that link is to my wife’s new YouTube channel because it’s awesome (I’m also trying to stay married as hell), but I also wanted to point out that independent creators fill out YouTube’s ever-growing collection of content. You can follow your favorite creators, create playlists, and more.

YouTube and its creators make money on advertiser content, so you’re going to see ads. But seriously, if we’re talking about the best cable alternatives, what’s better than free?

Available channels depend on your area, and YouTube TV can be shared with up to six YouTube accounts. There is an unlimited cloud storage and sharing for up to three screens at a time.

11. Apple TV+

$4.99/month with a 7-day free trial period

Apple has joined the growing list of cable alternatives with its own lineup of original shows, including the Golden Globe-nominated The Morning Show. This streaming service is fairly new, but because it’s from Apple, you know it’s going to be beautiful and well designed.

Apple TV+ is ad-free and can be downloaded to watch offline. There is family sharing for up to six family members, and most Apple devices come with a free year of Apple TV+.

12. Acorn TV

$5.99/month, 7-day free trial

Acorn TV is a cable replacement specifically for fans of British television, from mysteries, dramas, comedies, and documentaries. It’s 100% commercial free. You can watch current series or old favorites, like Doc Marten and Agatha Christie Murders.

14. Premium cable channels

With HBO Now, Showtime, and Starz all having their own premium streaming options, many viewers are following this trend – subscribing when your shows are on and canceling when they go off the air. This DIY, a la carte style cable alternative is a much more affordable option than paying for premium cable year round.

Here are a few of the most popular premium channels to stream:

HBO Now $14.99/month, 7-day free trial

Showtime $10.99/month, 30-day free trial

Starz $8.99/month, 7-day free trial

Many of the streaming services I listed already give you optional add-ons for premium channels, including Hulu and Amazon, or you can subscribe to them separately. Other than the occasional promotion (Amazon recently ran a deal $9.99/month for HBO Now), the prices stay the same when you purchase them as stand-alone channels.

15. Visit network websites

Networks like Fox, NBC, ABC, and CBS give you access to the most recent episodes of your favorite shows for free. Many cable networks (HGTV, TLC, History Channel, and more) even offer a few “unlocked” episodes of recent and past seasons.

This is a 100% free alternative to cable, so it might be worth checking out if you are really trying to lower your monthly bills, but still want some of your favorite shows.

16. HD antenna

Here’s a short history lesson for those who don’t remember…back in 2009, the U.S. made the switch from analog to full-on digital television, and that meant that if you didn’t have cable, you would need a digital antenna to watch local network television. When this transition went into effect, the government actually gave out coupons for digital converter boxes.

Flash forward to now, digital antennas are the way to go if you want to completely get rid of cable and still access your favorite local stations and shows.

Most people get access to standard network channels like ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, and PBS, but some viewers will get dozens more if they live in a large city.

Once you pay for your antenna, that’s it. No monthly charge, nothing, and that makes this one of the cheapest (and nearly free) alternatives to cable TV.

One thing to note is that if you have a smart TV, it won’t work with a digital antenna.

17. Library

Free!

I decided to save one of the most obvious, overlooked, and best cable alternatives for last…your local library! You know that place where you can borrow books for free and make 10¢ copies? Yeah, them! Your library has a ton of popular movies, seasons of your favorite shows, and probably some really weird, obscure stuff you never knew existed available for rent too.

Unless you don’t bring back your DVDs on time, the library is free, and it’s available to anyone. It doesn’t get much better than that.

And if you haven’t visited your local library in a while, some now lend out cameras, video projectors, laptops, museum passes, power tools, board games, and streaming devices. There’s even a library in Philadelphia that lends out cake pans for all your baking needs.

The library is a very budget friendly option!

How to watch TV without cable

If you’re wondering, “But how do I access these cheap cable alternatives?” there are a lot of options for how you can watch.

Your computer, tablet, or smartphone

This is probably the most affordable option because you already have the technology available to you. The streaming services listed above have websites and apps available for online streaming.

The following services even allow you to download select content to watch offline:

Hulu

Netflix

Amazon Prime Video

Disney+

Apple TV+

Showtime

Smart TV

If you have a smart TV, you can download apps for any of these streaming services. Your account login and profiles will all be saved, which makes it easy for instant access.

But remember that digital antennas aren’t compatible with smart TVs. But networks like ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox all have apps that you can download for free onto your smart TV.

Streaming device

This has been the way to go for people who don’t have smart TVs, and the benefit is that you can plug a streaming stick into your TV (as long as it has a USB port) and use that in combination with a digital antenna. You can access local networks and streaming services.

There are a number of options:

Roku $29.99-$99.99

Apple TV HD starting at $149.99 (comes with a year of AppleTV+ for free)

Amazon Fire Stick starting at $39.99, comes with Alexa Voice Remote

I’m a big fan of the Amazon Fire Stick because it’s reasonably priced and it works really well. My only complaint with any of the streaming sticks is how small the remotes are, and trust me…they’re easy to lose.

You can download apps for smartphones to use as a remote, but some of them get pretty expensive if you need to use them over long periods of time. Key takeaway: don’t lose the remote.

Video game console

Video game consoles like Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, and PS3 all offer streaming services. The Nintendo Switch currently only streams Hulu. They’re all really easy to use and you can use the video game controller like a remote… which doesn’t get lost quite as easily.

This is a great option if you already have a compatible gaming system because you don’t have to buy any extra technology.

Smart DVD or Blu-ray players

Many newer DVD and Blu-ray players are capable of streaming your favorite channels or services. This is a good choice for people who want one device that doesn’t make their DVD collection obsolete.

Best cable alternatives – the final word

I just gave you a comprehensive list of cable alternatives which can save you a ton of money every month. BUT, if you find yourself subscribing to more than one or two, you can easily be right back where you started, paying a hundred dollars a month or more to watch TV.

Remember, the point is to save money.

The other thing…if you’re not watching the shows and channels you’re paying to have access to, just cancel your subscription. Because these cable alternatives don’t have contracts, you can cancel when you want and re-up when you’re ready for more. There’s no reason to pay for something if you’re not using it.

About Millennial Money Man

Bobby Hoyt is a former band director who paid off $40,000 of student loan debt in 18 months on his teaching salary and then left his job to run Millennial Money Man full-time. He helps other Millennials earn more through side hustles, save more through budgeting tools and apps, and pay off debt. He is a personal finance expert who has been seen on Forbes, Reuters, MarketWatch, CNBC, International Business Times, Business Insider, US News, Yahoo Finance, and many other personal finance and entrepreneurship media outlets.

Brien

Bobby! How did you leave out YouTubeTV (not YT or YT Premium)?? $40/mo. for 60 some channels (plus network stations) and all the sports channels one could want! I still swear by it a year after subscribing.

I dumped cable a long time ago. My wife and I watch all of our shows through the123movies.org for free the day after they air. It has lots of popups you have to click through but once you get the show started it runs in HD with no issues whatsoever nor any commercials.

For sporting events I stream through reddit.com/r/nflstreams (or mlbstreams or nba streams or whatever sport you like). The only downfall is I can’t record them to watch later so I have to watch live.

Stephanie

I love Netflix and Hulu! I Netflix gives me great movies and shows to binge watch, and Hulu gives me recent episodes of things I might have missed when they were on. I have cable at home right now, but that is only because I live with my Grandma and she watches it. I watch it since it’s available, but I never paid for cable when living by myself. And I don’t intend to when I have my own place again someday. There’s so many cheaper alternatives; I can’t justify it!

I cut cable about 2 1/2 years ago and I haven’t regretted it. We’ve had Netflix for years, I added Sling to get my HGTV fix and so my son could have ESPN, and we also have Hulu. My son gets Hulu and Spotify for $4.99 a month since he’s a college student so he pays the Hulu for our household. The only bad thing is our internet provider jacked up our internet bill quite a bit once we “unbundled” but I’m still saving each month.

Megan

I have never paid for cable. I’m not a big TV watcher so it’s not worth it to me. My husband and I use my in-laws’ Netflix & Hulu logins, and we subscribe to Hallmark’s streaming service (we’re suckers for predictible, cheesy movies with happy endings). Anything else that I want I get from the library.

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